Compress.



S. J. WEBB, DEGD. (1111s.) A. w. MILLER, (MESA L. w. MILLS. ans.) 0. w. LONGINO, R. 1). WEBB &. (1112s.) R. w. amass Y,

' HEIRS-AT-LAW.

COMPRESS- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1906.

1,025 849. r PatentedMay 7,1912.

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s. J. WEBB, DEG'D. I (MRSJ A. W. MILLEB IMRS.) L. W. MILLS, (MRSJ G. W. LONGINO, B. I). WEBB & MRS.) R. W. GRIGSBY, HEIES-AT-LAW.

comrnnss. APPLIOA'IION FILED JUNE 15, 1906. Patented May 7, 1912.

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S. J. WEBB, DECD. (MRS) A. w. MILLER, (1135 L. w. MILLS. (MRSJ 0. w. LONGINO, R. n. WEBB & ums.) 3. w. GRIGSBY, HEIRS-AT-LAW.

GOMPRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1906.

1,025, 49, Patented May 7, 1912.

3 SHEBTSSHEET 3.

COLUMIIA PLANOGRAPII co-. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL J. WEBB, 0F MINDEN, LOUISIANA; (MRS) ANNA WEBB MILLER, (MRS) LOVE WEBB MILLS, (MRS) CARRIE WEBB LONGINO, ROBERT D. WEBB, AND (MRS) ROSA WEBB GRIGSBY HEIRS-AT-LAW OF SAID SAMUEL J. WEBB, DECEASED.

COMPRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1912.

Application filed June 15, 1906. Serial No. 321,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. VEBB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minden, in the parish of Webster and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in compresses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in compresses, some of which are applicable to presses, and has for its object to secure a more perfect control of the operation of the movable platen, to increase the extent of movement imparted to the movable platen at the beginning of the operations for compressing, to make use of the motor fluid expansively, and to control the operations so as to avoid sudden jolts at the terminations of the movements, and generally to improve the construction and the operation of the parts to which end the apparatus is constructed, as fully set forth hereinafter, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a compress embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2; Fig. 4: is an enlarged section on the line 4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the valve device; and Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing a modification.

The frame A is suitably constructed to support the operating parts, one platen B being fixed thereto, and the other C, sliding vertically and being suit-ably guided to operate under the action of the motor D and suitable lever connections. Lifting arms 6 are pivoted to the frame at their inner ends and are connected at the free ends to lifting links 5, pivoted to the movable platen. The parts are so proportioned and arranged that when the movable platen is down, the lift ing arms will be approximately horizontal. Radius arms 1 are suspended each from a fixed stud or pivot upon the frame at a point above that at which the ends of the lifting arms are pivoted, and asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, said stud is central with the press, all of the radius arms being pivoted thereto, but there may be two separated studs as shown in Fig. 6. The radius arm at each side is connected at the free end directly to a link 3 which extends inward and across the press and is connected directly to the joint of the lifting arm and link at the opposite side, so that the two links 3, 3, cross ;each other, thereby securing long link connections within a contracted space. The motor of any suit-able character is connected ,to raise and lower the free ends of the radius arms. As shown, there are piston links 2, 2 which connect the free ends of the radius arms and the cross head 9 on the piston rod 10 of the motor, said rod being connected to a piston 12 which rises under the action of the motor fluid admitted from a pipe 13 and controlled by a suitable valve device cam arm 24 and controlling lever lt and connection 32 as set forth hereinafter. As shown, the lifting arms and intermediate links 3, 3 are at an acute angle to each other when the movable platen is down and the radius arms and piston links are also at this time at an acute angle to each other. Preferably these angles are as acute as is practicable to avoid the adjacent arms and links being substantially parallel. As a result of the arrangement described, the initial or starting movement of the press swinging out and lifting the free ends of the radius arms, will result in a much greater elevating movementof the free ends of the lift-ing arms and of the platen, so that the lifting movement of the platen is several times greater at starting (as much as four times greater in proportion, as shown) than the lifting movement of the piston itself. Further, this movement is made under practically the full motor pressure which continues as the platen rises, but the speed of movement of the platen gradually decreases with a proportionate increase of leverage as the free ends of the lifting arms swing toward the center of the press, and with a cor responding increase of leverage as the radius arms swing outward under the lifting action of the piston links. Owing to this increase of leverage it is practicable to continue the application of a substantially uniform power to compress the bale even if the actual pressure upon the piston is reduced after the bale has been compressed to a cer tain extent, and this enables me to make use of the expansive force of an expansive motor fluid during the latter half of the stroke of the piston without practically reducing the amount of pressure applied to the bale.

the direct inlet of motor fluid is to be cut off. This valve may be operated positively from a lever 44:, a spring 25 tending to lift the valve sufficiently to maintain it normally open when no pressure is applied and when the piston passes the port communicating with the pipe 19, pressure from within the cylinder is brought upon the piston 17 when the valve will be closed, and the further upward movement of the piston 12 will result I from the expansion of the steam during the time that the arrangement of levers secures a gradually increasing leverage so that, although the pressure is gradually reduced, this is compensated for by the increasing leverage, and a practically uniform pressure upon any thickness of bale is secured, and there is no tendency to force the piston too rapidly upward and arrest it with a jolt, after the piston 12 passes the point of cut-off the power resulting from the leverage increases, but the pressure of the steam, acting expansibly, decreases in about the same proportion, so that the actual pressure of the platen during the stroke under expansion of the steam remains about the same throughout. That is, the levers are so proportioned that during the movement of the piston under the expansion of steam the power exerted by the levers upon the platen increases practically in the same proportion as the de crease of pressure under the motor piston, thus giving practically a uniform power throughout the expansion stroke, which enables me to apply the same pressure to the bales, whatever may be the thickness of the latter. It is necessary, however, in some cases to secure a greater pressure during at least a part of this movement, and I therefore provide means whereby the steam may be again admitted by the operator at any time after it is cut off by the automatic device, as before described. One means for securing this result consists in providing a cam lever which acts upon the lower part of the cut off valve stem and is connected by a rod 31 so as to be operated by the operating lever 4: 1 to lift-the valve when required. I am thus enabled to so control the expansive action of the steam that the piston will not in any case be lifted and terminate its movement with a jolt, but I can also at any time increase the action even when operating expansively, to meet any required conditions. One valve arrangement for securing these results is indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, where the stopping and starting valve 40 is a balanced valve receiving the steam from the pipe 13 and transmitting it to the upper and lower chambers of the heretofore described valve device E, the steam passing from the intermediate chamber to to the cylinder 20. There is also a casing I containing a substantially balanced exhaust valve 41 receiving the steam from the cylinder into the upper and lower chambers and transmitting it from the intermediate chamber 03 to the upper chamber 3 of a safety jvalve device F which has a safety valve 412 weighted by a spring 43, the pressure of which may be varied by means of a movable pressure sleeve 54:. In order that the weight 'upon the safety valve may be varied according to the position of the lower platen I provide any suitable connection whereby the pressure of the spring 43 is relieved in proportion as the lower platen rises. As shown, the sleeve 51 bears on the end of a lever 45, the opposite end of which is con- Inected by a rod 46 with the platen so that the end upon which the sleeve 54 bears is gradually lowered, constantly relieving the pressure upon the sleeve and the spring 41-3, and the parts are so regulated that there is sufiicient weight upon the valve to mamtam .the minimum or desired pressure in the cylinder. If the desired pressure is exceeded at any point of the stroke the valve jwill act as any other safety valve to permit the steam to pass from below the piston to the exhaust, and also 1s so proportioned as to blow off at any point of the stroke when the full working pressure uponthe platen is exceeded. The exhaust 4:1 is of course positively lifted by the movementof the control lever that operates the starting valve by re- ;versing the position of this lever, as usual, this being effected by securing the operating cams or levers of the two valves to the same 5 rod 50.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the piston links extend upward from the cross head instead of downward in the other construction, the operation in each case being the same.

Without limiting myself to the construction and arrangement shown, I claim as my invention l. The combination in a compress with a movable platen, its lifting links connected to the piston rod and arms, motor and piston links, of radius arms each swinging about a fixed point at the upper end and connected at the free end with the piston links, and intermediate cross links connected directly to the radius arms and to the lifting arms.

2. The combination in a compress with a movable platen, its lifting links and arms,

motor and piston links, of radius arms each swinging about a fixed point at the upper end and connected at the free end with piston links, and intermediate cross links connected directly to the radius arms and to the lifting arms, all proportioned as set forth to secure an approximately horizontal posisition of the lifting arms and an approximately vertical position of the piston links when the movable platen is in starting position.

3. The combination in a compress with a movable platen, its lifting links and arms, motor and piston links, of radius arms each swinging about a fixed point at the upper end and connected at the free end with the piston links, and intermediate cross links connected directly to the radius arms and to the lifting arms, all proportioned and arranged as specified to permit the cross links and lifting arms and the radius arms and piston links to be at acute angles to each other when the movable platen is in starting posit-ion.

l. The combination with the movable platen, its lifting links and arms and motor and piston links of a compress, of radius arms each pivoted at the upper end to swing outward at the free end, links connected to the lower ends of said arms and crossing each other and connected to the free ends of the lifting arms.

5. The combination in a compress, of a movable platen, lifting links and arms, motor and piston links and radius arms each pivoted at the upper end to a fixed pivot above the point which the outer ends of the lifting arms can swing, and connections between the radius arms and the lifting arms.

6. The combination in a compress of the movable platen, its lifting links and arms, motor and piston links and radius arms each pivoted to a fixed pivot at its upper end and each connected by a link at its free end to the outer end of one ofthe lifting arms.

7. The combination with the fixed and movable platens of a compress, of a motor having a piston and piston rod, lifting arms connected with the movable platen, radius arms each swinging upon a fixed pivot and connected at their free ends with the piston rod and links crossing each other and extending from the free ends of the radius arms to the free ends of the lifting arms.

8. The combination with the motor and movable platen of a press, of lifting arms and links, the said arms arranged to occupy an approximately horizontal position when starting, radius arms each swinging upon a fixed pivot, cross links connecting the free ends of the radius arms and the free ends of the lifting arms, and piston links connected with the piston rod and with the free ends of the radius arms and arranged to be at an acute angle to the radius arms when the movable platen is in starting position.

9. In a compress, the combination with the movable platen, of a motor constructed to operate under the action of an expansible fluid, means for automatically cutting off the motor fluid at a part of the stroke and means for increasing the leverage to prevent any reduction of pressure by the platen during the remainder of the stroke.

10. In a press, the combination with the movable platen, of a motor having a piston and constructed to operate under the action of an expansible fluid, a valve device controlling the flow of fluid to the motor,means for operating the valve device for automatically cutting off the fluid when the piston has traveled part of its stroke and means whereby to prevent any reduction of pressure by the platen during the remainder of the stroke.

11. The combination with the motor cylinder and piston of a press, of a valve device controlling the flow of motor fluid to the cylinder, automatic means for closing the valve when the piston has traveled part of the stroke and means whereby to prevent any reduction of pressure by the platen dur ing the remainder of the stroke.

12. The combination in a steam compress of a steam cylinder, piston and means for cutting off the steam to operate expansively during the terminal part of the stroke, a movable platen and devices connected with the piston for maintaining a uniform pressure by the platen throughout the expansive part of the stroke.

13. The combination with the press having a steam cylinder and piston, of automatically operated means whereby the steam is cut off at one point of the stroke to permit expansion to complete the stroke and means whereby to prevent reduction of pressure by the platen during the remainder of the stroke.

14. A press having a steam cylinder and piston, automatic means for cutting off the steam at a given point of the stroke of the piston, a platen and means whereby to utihas the expansion of the steam to complete the stroke under an undiminished application of power to the platen.

15. In a compress the combination of levers connected with the movable platen, an engine having a cylinder and piston for operating said levers, automatic means whereby to cut off the steam to permit the movement of the piston under the expansion of the steam in completing the stroke and means to secure an increase of leverage to move the platen during the completion of the stroke.

16. In a compress the combination of levers connected with the movable platen, an engine having a cylinder and piston for & 1,025,849

operating said levers, and means whereby to cut off the steam to permit the movement of the piston under the expansion of the steam in completing the stroke, said levers being proportioned and arranged to secure approximately the same pressure on the bale during the action under the expansion of the steam as during the direct pressure at the point of cut off.

17. In a compress the combination with the fixed and movable platens and levers for carrying the movable platen toward the fixed platen with increasing leverage, of an expansible fluid motor and means for utilizing the fluid expansively during the latter part of the pressing operation.

18. In a compress the combination with the fixed and movable platens and levers for carrying the movable platen toward the fixed platen with increasing leverage, of an expansible fluid motor, and means for utilizing the expansible action of the said fluid during the latter part of the pressing operation to decrease the pressure tending to lift the piston in about the proportion that the leverage increases.

19. In a compress the combination with the fixed and movable platens and levers for carrying the movable platen toward the fixed platen with increasing leverage, of an expansible fluid motor, means for utilizing the expansible act-ion of the said fluid during the latter part of the pressing operation to decrease the pressure tending to lift the piston in about the proportion that the leverage increases, and means for positively admitting the motor fluid during any part of the operation.

20. The combination with the movable platen and operating levers of a compress, of an expansible fluid motor, and a cut off for securing the operation under the expansion of the motor fluid during a part of the stroke, the parts proportioned to secure a fluid pressure to lift the piston decreasing in about the proportion of the increase of leverage.

21. The combination with the movable platen of a compress and with operating arms and levers, of an expansible fluid motor and an automatic out 01f, the parts proportioned and arranged to reduce the motor fluid pressure in approximately the proportion of the increase of leverage.

22. The combination with the movable platen of a compress and with operating arms and levers, of an expansible fluid motor, an automatic cut ofi, and means under the control of the operator for admitting motor fluid to the motor at any point 01' the operation, the parts proportioned and arranged to secure a reduction of the motor fluid pressure in approximately the proportion of the increase of leverage.

23. The combination with the cylinder of the motor of a compress, of a valve device having a valve stem with a. piston thereon, a cylinder receiving said piston, means for connecting the latter cylinder with the cylinder of the motor at a point where steam is to be cut ofl', a spring tending to lift the valve, and a device for positively opening the valve adapted to be shifted by the operator.

24. The combination with the movable platen and motor cylinder of a compress,

of a safety valve device having a casing communicating with said cylinder, means for loading said valve and means whereby the load is decreased as the platen is moved in compressing a bale.

25. The combination with the motor cylinder and movable platen of a compress, of a. valve device having a casing, a safety valve, a spring bearing on said safety valve, a sleeve bearing upon said spring, a support for said sleeve, and connections whereby the said support is shifted to relieve the pressure of the spring as the platen rises.

26. The combination with the motor cylinder of a press, of a piston in said cylinder, a platen connected to said piston, means for cutting off steam after a partial movement of the piston, an exhaust valve and means for operating the same during the expansive action of the steam constructed to preserve a predetermined pressure in the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL J. WEBB.

\Vitnesses CHARLES E. FosrnR, FRANCIS S. MAGUIRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

